The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Oct 2002
Impact of hematocrit value after coronary artery surgery on perioperative myocardial infarction rate.
The optimal hematocrit (HCT) value after coronary artery bypass grafting on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has not yet been established. The purpose of our retrospective study was to investigate the association between HCr at the time of entry into the ICU and perioperative Ml rate. ⋯ In this retrospective analysis of 500 consecutive coronary artery surgery patients, we did not find any association between perioperative Ml rate and HCr value on entry into the ICU. These results do not support the recent suggestion that low HCT at the time of entry into the ICU protects against perioperative Ml.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Oct 2002
Minimally invasive surgery for congenital heart defects in paediatric patients.
In selected cases, minimally-invasive approaches are favoured for the correction of congenital heart defects with regard to better cosmetic results. ⋯ Intracardiac repair of some congenital heart defects can be performed safely and effectively via minimally-invasive approaches. Indications are expanding towards more complex defects. Exposure for precise repair is good, additional incisions can be avoided, and cosmetic results have been excellent.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Aug 2002
Case ReportsTracheoinnominate artery fistula: successful surgical management of one case.
Fistula formation between the trachea and the innominate artery following tracheostomy is a rare, but life-threatening complication. Because of its clinical presentation with acute, massive, intractable bleeding, the mortality is nearly 100% without operation. To the best of our knowledge, the autologous pericardium flap for coverage of the tracheal defect has not been discussed in the English-language literature. We successfully treated one case of tracheoinnominate artery fistula following tracheostomy by using autologous pericardium flap.
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Ventricular assist systems have become an important tool in the surgical management of acute and chronic heart failure. While indications for left ventricular support ar e well established, criteria for right ventricular support are much less defined. This report summarizes current knowledge on the implantation of right ventricular support in clinical settings of isolated right heart failure, biventricular failure, postcardiotomy failure and post-LVAD right heart failure.